Implementing an Employee Suggestion Program
Encourage Staff Feedback to Improve a Small Business
Nov 7, 2009
Some small business owners have businesses with interested, loyal and creative employees. Others have companies where a bad morale infects new employees in a matter of days and where employee retention has become a serious concern. While several factors contribute to the difference in employee satisfaction, implementing employee involvement programs is one major step employers can take to improve staff morale. Employee suggestion programs are one of the quickest ways to begin working to involve employees in the business.
Suggestion Boxes Encourage Shy or Disgruntled Employees to Offer Staff Feedback
When a business owner is trying to turn a company with bad morale around, asking for suggestions or encouraging feedback in person is not always the way to go. A suggestion box allows employees to leave feedback anonymously to test the waters and be sure the new change is genuine.
Some business owners are hesitant to try a suggestion box because if employees are angry, resentful, or frustrated enough, one or two of the suggestions that get dropped into the box may be mean spirited or even vulgar suggestions about managers or employers. However, as the person who checks the box continues to place these improper suggestions into the proper container and discusses good tips and suggestions with staff, more and more staff members will begin to take the suggestion box seriously.
Suggestion Forms Guide Employees to Give Valuable Feedback
Sometimes, employees would love to give suggestions about the businesses they work for, but they aren't certain what type of suggestions the business owner wants to hear or aren't comfortable spelling out the details. A suggestion form can provide guidance to help these employees give useful feedback about the company or recommendations for future improvements.
A suggestion form can be as simple as a survey that asks for yes and no and multiple choice answers or it may be a longer essay type form. An ideal suggestion form often contains a mixture of the two question types. For example, it may ask employees to give feedback about their favorite part of a new staff incentive program and then it may have space for employees to offer their suggestions for additional incentives.
Verbal Staff Feedback Includes Employees that Aren't Comfortable Writing Things Down
Not all employees are able to write and read with ease. This means that an employer who relies solely on written feedback when they are implementing employee suggestion systems may miss out on some excellent ideas for streamlining processes, increasing revenue, or creating a more welcoming environment. Instead, small business owners should consider having an open door policy a few hours a week to allow employees to offer verbal suggestions.
While employers can opt to collect employee suggestions in a variety of ways, there is one thing that remains the same. If they don't acknowledge that suggestions were made and look into the feasibility of implementing legitimate suggestions with an open mind, they will not see an improvement in staff morale. However, if they do show an interest in staff suggestions and make an effort to work on employee involvement, they will be likely to notice that their employees are more invested in the company and more content with their workplace.
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